History of Bone Conduction, And 5 Industries Thriving With This Technology

Bone conduction allows you to hear sound through the vibration of the bones of your face (jaw bones and cheek bones). This means that the sound waves are bypassing the outer and middle ear (where the eardrum is located) and directly stimulating the inner ear (hearing organ).

Bone conduction technology has been around for many years as a tool to help those with hearing loss. Even Beethoven, who was hearing impaired, used bone conduction to listen to music by biting down on his composer’s wand that was touching the piano.

The following 4 major industries have benefited from bone conduction technology:

Military communication. The military was one of the first early adopters of bone conduction technology, implementing behind-the-ear style headsets for communication on the battlefield. This was a significant improvement to field communication because it allowed the user to retain full awareness of ambient sounds (since the headset sits behind and not in the ear) while also enabling the ability to transmit wirelessly through bone conduction.

Many local tactical units have also adapted this technology thanks to companies like Invisio.

Sports headphones. Bone conduction headphones have become increasingly popular in the music industry. What has been incorporated into the hearing healthcare industry for many years is now being utilized in the music media industry as a different way to listen.

In 2008, Audio Bone become one of the first mainstream bone conduction headphones to enter the sports headphones scene. They claimed equivalent sound quality while also allowing the user to hear ambient noises since the headphone didn’t actually cover any part of the ear. This technology has become increasingly popular among the every growing headphone community, particularly runners or cyclists who want both music and exposure to ambient sound (i.e. cars driving by) for safety.

Scuba diving. Using bone conduction underwater is totally awesome, there is no other way to say it. While this technology was actually patented as far back as 1996, in the video below you’ll see that Casio was one of the first to popularize this technology in scuba diving with their Logosease device.

This device is essentially an underwater transceiver that utilizes bone conduction coupled with ultrasound at a range of 32 kHz to enable wireless communication as long as you are within visual range.

Ambient noise solution. Even Apple is beginning to understand the benefits of creating earphones that allow the user to be fully aware of their surroundings, and improve speech recognition in ambient conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Before we get to our top list of headphones, let’s quickly go over some of the most frequently asked questions.

1. Will bone conduction headphones work for me if I have a hearing loss?

Possibly. If you have a conductive hearing loss or unilateral hearing loss, then yes. Essentially as long as you have one (1) functioning cochlea.

2. Which bone conduction headphones are the best?

Currently our favorites are the AfterShokz Trekz Air. See our table below for a look at the rest of our Top 7 :)

3. Will the sound quality be as high as “regular” headphones?

Unfortunately not. Let’s clarify though. Bone conduction isn’t necessarily worse than air conduction (the way most headphones transfer sound). The issue is that this type of bone conduction is not implantable (obviously). So, you are not getting a truly direct transmission, which makes for a poorer sound quality.

4. What are the big differences between these headphones and “regular” headphones?

Other than bone conduction, this technology also requires a power source for even the wired versions. This means there will be some type of “battery pack.” However, technology has advanced to the point that it’s difficult to notice in the latest wireless bone conduction headphones.

5. Can bone conduction make your hearing worse?

Yes. Just like with any headphones, if you turn them up too loud you could damage your hearing further.

6. Can bone conduction headphones be worn with hearing aids?

Absolutely! In fact this is one of the preferred style of headphones for people with hearing aids. You will have a little difficulty if you are using a behind-the-ear hearing aid because the band may conflict with the headphone, but other than that you should be good to go.

Bone Conduction Headphones Reviews

We’ve been lucky enough to test all of these headphones and have put together some details below about the top 4.

Number 1 – AfterShokz TREKZ Air

This was a tough call, while the TREKZ line by AfterShokz is far and away the best option, deciding between the Air and Titanium was difficult. Ultimately we like the newer and slightly lighter (20% to be exact) Air over the Titanium.

Style

The Air look like a slimmer version of the Titanium. The new wrap-around design is 20% lighter and a lot more flexible, allowing for a more custom fit.

They come in three different colors:

Forest Green

Midnight Blue (pictured above)

Slate Grey

Pairing

They use Bluetooth v4.2 multipoint pairing (read about it more below in the Titanium review), and will be compatible with your iOS or Android device. We tested with and iPhone 8s and Galaxy S8 to be sure.

Functionality

Pretty much anything you can do in 6 hours (because the batter life for continuous music and calls) you can do with the AfterShokz Air.

The big difference over the Titanium is the improved dual noise canceling microphones to help reduce wind and static for your music and calls.

Number 2 – AfterShokz TREKZ Titanium

AfterShokz is a well reputed bone conduction headphone manufacturer and they recently showcased the wireless version of their previously popular wired AfterShokz TREKZ Titanium at CES 2016.

Style

The Titanium got a little bit of a face lift over their predecessor.

They come in three different colors:

Ocean (Blue/Black)

Ivy (Green/Black) (pictured above)

Slate (Gray/Black)

They also use a silicone coated, titanium band that makes them fairly flexible without damage.

Pairing

This may be my new favorite feature of the Titanium: multi-point pairing. Often times I’ll wear the headphones paired with my phone, but occasionally also want to pair them with my TV or laptop to watch something.

They use Bluetooth 4.1 technology to allow pairing to multiple devices. This is something most older headphones do not have.

Functionality

One feature we continue to like is the IP5 rating, which makes the Titanium sweatproof and perfect for sports/working out.

Fit

The Titanium fit very similar to the Bluez 2s (read more below). As we mentioned though, the band is a little more flexible, in part because the technology is housed closer to the ears, as opposed to behind the neck/head.

One of the reasons AfterShokz is our top pick, is the fit. They’re comfortable in pretty much every environment, to the point that after about a week of wearing them you don’t even feel them anymore.

Number 3 – Vibrabeats Vidonn (Wireless)

Connectivity

We paired the Vibrabeats to a Galaxy S9 and had no issues. It’s just as simple as holding the volume up button for 5 seconds.

The instruction manual mentions “your body may resist the Bluetooth signal…we advise to put the smartphone on the right side or front of body.” Honestly, this is aggravating. I wear a pair of LG Tones almost daily and run into this issue (usually when I’m more than 5 feet from my phone if I turn my head the wrong way it will interfere with the signal).

Fortunately I think Vibrabeats exaggerated the worst case condition a bit. I went for a walk and stretched with my phone in my left pocket and had no issues. It wasn’t until I added a bit of distance (just like with my LG Tones) that I started to have a signal issue. And honestly, this is going to be an issue with most (almost all) Bluetooth devices.

Comfort and Fit

We’ve been testing bone conduction headphones for over 7 years now, and holy cow have they come a long way.

In the past the issue with wireless bone conduction headphones was the battery. It made them clunky and heavy, so heavy they’d pull your ears down and it’d be terribly comfortable.

I did mention the controls above. You can see in the photo below the play/pause and answer calls button is super easy to access right on the end. You can also see the volume/power button is underneath the band and will sit right behind your ear.

Sound Quality

I almost hate talking about sound quality when it comes to bone conduction headphones. They’re just not made for audiophiles, and they’re always going to fall short of regular headphones for the simple reason that they are “open ear headphones.”

You get the perk of being aware to ambient sounds (i.e. an oncoming car while you’re running or biking) and you sacrifice a bit of sound quality for that. You can make up for it by using the 3M ear plugs they include, which make them more of a noise isolating headphone, but that kind of defeats the purpose unless you’re just walking around your house.

Do they sound bad? No.

Just know they’re built for different reasons than just sound quality.

Number 4 – AfterShokz Bluez 2s

We’ve tested pretty much every pair of bone conduction headphones available, and AfterShokz is hte premier company for open earphones. So, it shouldn’t come to much surprise that number two on the list is another pair from AfterShokz: the Bluez 2s.

Refer to our review above, as the Bluez 2s perform very similarly to the TREKZ Titanium.

We found the main difference to be where the technology is housed on the headphones. You’ll notice that the Bluez 2s have a “fatter” neckband on the backside, while the TREKZ have larger bands near the ear hooks.

We find the TREKZ to be a little more balanced, but also understand that some people (especially if you’re wearing another hearing device) don’t like any additional bulk near the ear. If that’s the case, then the Bluez 2s may be right for you.

Lastly, four additional features the TREKZ have that the Bluez 2s do not:

The Future

Last year we started following a company named Zungle who was creating a pair of smart sunglasses with built in Bluetooth and bone conduction technology.

We just checked their crowdfunding status and they are fully funded and predicting shipping dates of April 2017.In fact you can still pre-order here. If this sounds interesting to you (it sounds pretty awesome to us!) check out the video below for more details.

Zungle

In addition to Zungle, but not shipping until July 2017 is Vue. Vue is more focused on everyday glasses, but also has a sunglasses option. Pre-order and read more here, or check out the video below.

Vue

Final Thoughts

Bone conduction technology has really taken off and improved over the past 7-10 years and we expect that it will continue to do the same as there is a wide audience for this type of technology.

Overall, these wireless bone conduction headphones are a great solution for those wanting to enjoy audio without cutting yourself off from everything around you.

Because the headphones utilize the bone conduction mechanisms of hearing, they are a great way for someone with a conductive hearing loss or single-sided deafness to enjoy audio streaming. They are also a good solution for those with any type of in-the-ear hearing aids.

Comments

I am interested in this technology for safety glasses!
Work won’t allow blue tooth head sets because of safety- fork truck safety-
So it would be cool to hear music And till able to hear the fork trucks and be in complience! Any technology coming on the horizon in this eara!?

I have the aftershockz bluez2 and they are awesome…..only ome last bit i wish they had – being able to maintain simultaneous bluetooth connections to 2 phones to allow me to pick up calls from either one, ljke Jabra’s Multiuse or Plantronics’ Multipoint features, that would propel Aftershockz into a huge lead….

I need a set of wireless bone conducting headphones for use with a TV.
I currently use regular ear headphones that connect to a wireless set that connects via RCA sockets to the back of the TV (not blue tooth).
How would I connect these phones above?? I want my ears clear to hear conversation and still pickup the TV programs.

Lastly, if what LunarWolf said doesn’t work, you could also check your TV settings to see if they will pair with wireless devices. At home, my computer is hooked up to a TV screen and it will let me pair any wireless headphones to watch TV.

It would be nice if you can test the waves headphone of the listening program. They look very promising. So far they’re the only ones I found that combine bone and air conduction, but they cost $995,00!

I don’t think you could get a demo… also, there’s iLS. I’m a practitioner and paid a whole lot for my equipment. However, I will tell you that even the cheapest option of the aftershokz can be used. I have a lot of low income families and I am constantly adapting and looking for creative ways of making these therapy modalities more affordable. I also use them to provide auditory feedback when treating phonological disorders.

Canine anyone? Here is my thought… I have an older Standard Poodle who is loosing her hearing. I bought one of those personal pocket amplifiers for her collar from RadioShack. They say that dogs will NOT tolerate anything in their ears… but… what about bone conductive headphones outside of their ears?!

Rhonda, that’s an interesting thought. I don’t actually have any experience using these with animals, but I would think the biggest hurdle to overcome would be getting the device to stay on the dog. I’ll ask around and see if any Audiologists have ever done anything like this.

My son has tried Aftershokz Sportz (Wired) together with a transmitter /receiver as an alternative to his Bone Anchored Hearing Aid. Initially he found it brilliant, but after a short time the device became loose and would not grip his head sufficiently. The sound quality was then compromised and it didn’t feel secure on his head. The wireless version looks more robust and would appear to have an adjustable fit-is this the case? If so is there any way that they can be used with a transmitter/ receiver device? Failing this, are there any other wired devices that may fit the bill?

Hi Lindsey,
I would really like to know the answer to this too:)!!
I’m deaf in one ear with microsia atresia. Perfect candidate for bone conduction hearing aid. In fact I tried it at a lab yesterday. Amazing!
I’ve come across the ponto and the Baha – the softbands and the minimally invasive implants. This is all new for me. What companies do you recommend, including the receiver + headphones option mentioned above.
The lab visit changed my life! Unfortunately they don’t do any of the surgery or sell any of the technology. They just test hearing levels. Please let me know:)

I was born 60-70% deaf. inner ears never formed and no air goes into the ear. I used bone conduction hearing aid from 1978 until 2006. I was fitted for a BAHA by cochlear. I upgraded to a BAHA 4 a couple years back and was blown away by the size and what it can do. The 4 actually has Bluetooth installed and can pair with a phone with its wearable transmitter. I feel cochlear is way ahead of the game. The BAHA 5 is even better but also smaller than the 4. I just now heard about the bone conduction head phones and since I worn the bone conductor hearing aid for almost 30 years I know what it can do. I am thankful for this article. Hope my information helps you guys out about the bone anchored hearing aids as well.

I was advised by a friend who wears hearing aids to try them out. I chose the After Schock blue and they are fantastic! I leave my phone in one room of my house and have walked all over the one floor house listening to a book and had no trouble picking it up. Sounds great, too. Love them!

How do these work with someone who wears glasses? I’m concerned that they won’t fit comfortably around glasses, especially given the tight fit that is required to make them work. Also, which of the brands is better for sporting activities, and handle sweaty activities the best? I’ve heard that some of them lose their effectiveness after getting wet/sweaty.
Also, I only have hearing in one ear. A problem I hate is that I cannot get stereo sound from both sides to the one good ear. Will these send the sound from both sides to the one good ear, allowing for “stereo” hearing?

Are you talking about prescription glasses or sunglasses? I’ve worn these with sunglasses that don’t sit directly on top of the ear with no problems. However, I don’t have any experience wearing them with prescription glasses that rest on your ear.

I have had the Bluez 2 for about a year and just ordered the Trekz. I have prescription glasses and find that they fit nicely under the bands of the headphones. Yes, it is a slightly looser fit but they still sound great with glasses on. I love Aftershokz as a company. Wonderful company & product!

Re your question about sending sound “from both sides to the one good ear”, the headphones themselves won’t do that. However, both Android smartphones and iPhones provide a setting that will output both (left/right) stereo channels to a single mono channel. The mono output is sent to your headphones, earphones or speakers. Unlike normal stereo, the same audio is sent to both left/speakers of your headphones or earphones.

If you are deaf in one ear, you still won’t hear anything on that side. However, you will hear all the audio on the other side (as opposed to hearing only one side of a stereo mix). You will hear all of the sound. But you will lose the “dimensional spectrum” effect of stereo which allows sounds to seem as if they are coming from your left, centre or right. That effect cannot be achieved with mono output.

Android and IOS both treat this setting as an Accessibility setting, so you will have to look under those preferences on your phone. For example, on my Samsung S7, I find it under Settings > Accessibility > Hearing > Mono audio. You may need to search the internet or ask the manufacturer for the settings on your model of phone. Also, some music players offer this function. For example, I user PowerAmp on my S7, and it has option too.

Finally, if those options aren’t available to you or don’t work, and you are using wired headphones/earphones, you can buy a physical adaptor that will combine both stereo channels into a single mono channel. Look for a “3.5mm stereo plug to 3.5mm mono adaptor”. Amazon has some. They cost only a few dollars.

Tim, I’ve had Stapedectmy (twice ) on Right ear and have difficulty hearing with ear buds…just got my bone conduction headset yesterday and LOVE It… so good hearing on both sides now….my one issue I haven’t resolved is the mic… people call on the phone, I answer but those on the other end…can’t hear me… I’m testing now to see exactly where the mic is and how I might be able to improve this… someone told me to turn the hearing volume up on the side of the headset… I call my wife’s phone and leave a message… so far haven’t been able to hear what I record…
Jerry

I love the AfterShokz products. I am extremely hearing impaired and wear hearing aids in both ears. I just want to tell anybody who uses the bone conduction products that turning up the volume can make you MORE DEAF. They also can cause you to have an earache similar to an infection — but is not infected. If this happens, refrain from using the bone conduction product for a day or two. Your ear should clear up. Just keep the volume down (not too loud).

Bone conduction headphones stimulate the cochlear hair cells which are disordered in those with sensorineural hearing loss.

Therefore, bone conduction headphones aren’t useful for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, however they can be very useful for those with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss or conductive hearing loss.

Hi Wesley,
I’m deaf in one ear with microsia atresia. Perfect candidate for bone conduction hearing aid. In fact I tried it at a lab yesterday. Amazing!
I’ve come across the ponto and the Baha – the softbands and the minimally invasive implants. This is all new for me. What companies do you recommend?

The Ponto from Oticon Medical and the Baha from Cochlear are the two best bone conduction devices. If you are able to undergo the implant surgery then that is going to give you better hearing results with either one.

Hello,
As an audio device designer, I would like to know if the bone conduction device allows a true stereo. In other words, does it allow to distinguish a left coming sound from a right coming sound ? Thank you

Nordmann, I know for certain AfterShokz uses PremiumPitch+ technology, which allows for stereo sound with sounds coming from the right and left side of the transducers. Marsboy also uses true stereo, and I believe Damson does as well. I’d have to double check on the others as I don’t recall.

Hi, grest article thank you… I have had a pair of BC headphones and I cycle in London. I find them often to be too quiet, even on side streets, as there is so much ambient noise in London. Can you tell me which headphones are the loudest?

I don’t know that you’re going to find a notable difference in the volume levels, but I personally believe the clarity of the AfterShokz Trekz or Bluez is the best.

With that said, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that cranking the volume all the way up because of ambient noise can put you at greater risks of noise induced hearing loss. If the ambient noise is too much, you may want to try using ear plugs with the headphones, but again this may limit your awareness of your surroundings while cycling. It’s kind of a catch 22. Either way, be safe!

I cycle in London and use Sennheiser earbuds with the volume quite high, even though I don’t want to damage my hearing any more! I use thr following setup: an mp3 player that allows the auto-volume-limit off, maybe 10% higher than that limit – but also EQ’d for bass not treble, so in effect I’m turning up the bass. Just below the level where the bass distorts. That way the more trebly ambient sounds have a chance of getting in, plus less tinnitus-inducing, plus wind noise negates the treble a lot anyway. Ambient noise (and air pollution) in London is off the chart. Something car drivers are not ashamed about and should be (plus we throw away 40%+ of our food, so that means 40% of the noise and air pollution cost of transporting it is unnecessary…). Anyway, I constantly look around to be situationally-aware and try to compensate for lack of ambient noise awareness. Good road positioning, being very visible and aware, all help up the safety-quotient. Cycling with music on is not ideal but if one adopts as many safety methods as possible then technically it’s probably ‘safer’ than getting a heart-attack from zero exercise…

Hi Can you tell me if these are wearable with Prescription glasses, and which one is best. Also what is the sound reproduction like as I have heard they are limited with regard to the bass output. Over the last couple of years my hearing has diminished due to infections and I miss listening to classical music. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

You can definitely wear them with glasses, but I can’t say whether or not you’ll find them to be comfortable. Below is a picture of our Audiologist testing out the Marsboy with glasses on. She didn’t have any issues, but again, it’s going to be personal preference on if this is comfortable or not.

You are correct in regards to the bass sound, it is diminished compared to traditional headphones or earbuds.

Also, I’m sure you know this, but if you have hearing loss using bone conduction headphones will not (likely) be a solution. It will depend on your specific hearing condition, but typically people with hearing loss do not fare any better with bone conduction as opposed to air conduction.

My husband can’t distinguish the consonants. Will the bone conduction work as well as the air conduction? He does not wear hearing aids because they don’t help, but he does use TV ears to watch TV. I’m hoping that your number one choice will let him use them for the TV and for his iPhone.

Great article! AfterShokz is really and amazing product, but price was just a little much for me. I went with the Sainsonic BM-7’s and absolutely love them, but imagine functionally is very similar across all models

We actually hadn’t seen the SainSonic until you mentioned them. They look similar to the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium. We’ll definitely be reaching out to them shortly, as it looks like they are brand new to the market.

Aftershokz is a good product and great company to deal with. Customer service is top notch! HINT: I always buy directly from them and not Amazon or anywhere so I can get their great customer service.
My first headphones stopped working properly within a month and they just shipped me new ones, no questions asked, no return of old item. The 2nd pair worked great until I accidentally killed them.

Then I upgraded to the wireless and had a bad contact-allergy reaction to the pads in front of my ears (i have lots of allergies, and we determined it was probably the chemicals the item is sprayed with to make it ‘sweat and dust proof’). They sent my info around the company to make sure they were all aware that someone was having a problem and they are fully refunding me (i returned the headphones this time).

Everyone should try them if they’re looking for bone conduction headphones! (I’m sure most people won’t have the allergy issue I did.)

I happened to find out this article searching for any information on the bone conduction mechanism because I was about to purchase a bone conduction headphone. The article is awesome in that it deals with the comparison among the top three’s as well as the ranking chart for top 10’s. I am pretty sure that this will help me with selecting the best one.

I have a same question and curiosity with Wendy who has asked about the way how to find a small microphone, which can work with this headphone because I would like to have one to help my parents who have some difficulty in hearing. I hope anyone answer that question.

It will depend a little bit on the size of the arm of the bone conduction headphones. You may want to consider the wired Aftershockz, as they tend to me slimmer and lighter than some of the wireless options.

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I read the bone conduction headphones sometimes need to use with headphones AMP because of the best quality. Based on appearance I prefer the wireless AfterShokz TREKZ Titanium to the wired Aftershokz AS450 Sportz M3. And I know so that we cannot use AMP with wireless headphones.
What is the sound quality of wireless version like if you use with an mobile phone (for exampe iPhone) and without AMP?
I wear hearing aid and unfortunatelly I cannot try it in a store because I live in Hungary and I can order only.

In order for bone conduction headphones to work, the user must have at least one normal (or near-normal) cochlea so most likely bone conduction headphones will not work with someone with a cochlear implant.

Hi,
Really informative, thank you.
I am mostly concerned about the uses in scuba diving (-60m, air toxicity limits).
Scuba diving for work of course, when you have to cope with a looooong lasting deco stop. It is great not to have to suffer of this “earplug effect” (compressing air) or to be able to pay attention to surrounding noises (just in case).
But the Logosease are “just” walkie talkies… the iRiver 380T or H2o audio DV-i700 are no longer provided… surely because osteophonic devices were not available then and divers massively rejected the awful earplugs, like the ones of the (great if had not) Waterfi iPod.

Do you know if there is any way to find something that would stand depth and pressure for a deep dive deco stops?

Hi, I had bought the mini AfterShokz TREKZ Titanium after using the sizing recommendations. I was looking for something to wear when I get my hearing aides, especially since the Bluetooth I had would no longer work.
I am having trouble getting the mini AfterShokz to go on over these very very small hearing aides. I am very disappointed because I love the AfterShokz and need the hearing aides.
Are there any options you can thing of?
Thank you!

Excellent article and there appear to be multiple good options. A logical extension of this technology would be to use the microphone to boost conversations (without becoming regulated as a hearing aid). Do you know if any models offer this feature? I read the website for the Aftershokz Trekz and there is no mention of this capability.

Hi Scott, Yes I agree that would be a good extension of the bone conduction technology. There are currently bone conduction hearing devices that are regulated. There are currently no over-the-counter bone conduction hearing devices that I am aware of but it wouldn’t surprise me if something was in development.

This claims – Bone conduction design with hearing aid function, health, safety and comfortable, applies to the elderly. Can this really be used as a hearing aid for someone who is extremely hearing impaired, regular hearing aids do not work, but I don’t know the root cause?

Hi Sriram
I would say no, these cannot be used in place of traditional hearing aids. They are headphones to allow you to listen to audio from a smartphone via a bone conduction transmission, there is no external microphone that would pick up and amplify environmental speech or noise. I’m not sure what they are referring to when they say. “hearing aid function…applies to the elderly”. Currently there are no bone conduction headphones that can be used to correct for hearing loss…only a bone conduction device medically prescribed such as the Oticon Ponto or the Cochlear baha devices.

I completely loss my hearing from meningitis almost a year ago, since then I experience severe noises at times it’s extremely loud in my head. I’ve had hearing test and CT scans. Which, showed permanent and profound healing. Seeing the renowned ENT surgeon, he said there was very little to offer me, as both cochlear so are hardened and inner ear are also damaged. It has been suggested to me that perhaps the bone conduction headphones might help with the constant noises from the ears I experience. My question is this, as I’m searching for anything that may quite or eliminate the noise. Do you think that maybe possible with bone conduction headphones and if so which brand would u suggest?

Hi Monique
I’m sorry to hear about your struggle with tinnitus. I would recommend giving the bone conduction headphones a try to listen to some music or relaxation sounds. However this will depend on the severity of your hearing loss. If it is more severe then the bone conduction headphones will not be loud enough. Also, for every day use I would consider talking to your ENT/Audiologist about a more permanent solution, such as the Cochlear Baha or Oticon Ponto devices.

Great article. I have bi-lateral BAHAs (Oticon Ponto pro) but they are fitted very close to my prosthetic ears. I really like the idea of getting headphones to complement the BAHAs, but I’m wondering whether these headphones rely upon hanging over the ear in order to give sufficient compression to the bone. I can remove the prostheses easily, but do you think the phones have sufficient ‘spring’ to stay in place without hanging over ears? Really appreciate your thoughts.

Curious about moisture issues; As one who perspires heavily from long runs, bike rides, etc., and having destroyed several sets of hearing aids with the salty stuff, am wondering if there is a reason each of these were not given a practical range of moisture resistance. I qualify as about 85% of the way to legally deaf, and need all the help I can get, but don’t like investing in something expensive which will not meet my needs.

Hi Keith – You want to look for the IP rating on the device which will tell you how water and dust resistant they are. For instance, the Aftershokz Trekz on this list are rated a IP55. The highest IP rating is a 68, with the first number being the dust resistance and the second number being the water resistance level. So getting as close to 8 is ideal for water resistance. You can read this article for more info on water resistance ratings: https://www.everydayhearing.com/hearing-aids/articles/the-ugly-truth-about-moisture-and-hearing-aids/

The review says the Aftershokz Bluez 2 has multi-point, but all of my own research, and even another user comment here from a Bluez 2 owner, says they do not.

I am looking for multi-point bone conducting, and almost ordered the less expensive Bluez 2 based on this list claiming they have it, before noticing that Amazon’s listing didn’t mention it anywhere, and doing further research.

I have recently bought some Aftershockz 2s as I wear both glasses and over- ear hearing aids. They are totally fab but after 2 days I came down with the most horrendous ocular migraines I have ever had – 3 in one day. Just wondering if there is likely to be a connection or just coincidence. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Very informative article. I don’t know what type of hearing loss I have. The in-the-ear hearing aids the VA gave me don’t seem to help much. They seem to increase bone conduction noise, I have TMZ and I can’t wear them when I eat or talk as ALL I can hear is the pop in the joint, and when running, all I can hear is my own breathing. So would these type of headphones work for me or not? I would like to be able to hear traffic around me when I run but I use the tempo of my music to set/maintain my pace. Thanks for your help.

Dainis, I’d probably check out the AfterShokz AS450 or 400 if you want a wired pair. The only downfall to the wired pair is they come with a small battery pack that is on the wire. You can check them out here: http://amzn.to/2jh4pA8

I’ve just started looking into Bone Conduction headphones. Couple questions I can’t seem to find answers too.
Are there any that are waterproof? – I’d love to use them while swimming
Are there any that are itunes compatible? – It seems like most of the ones I find require an MP3 player
I’ve also been told that Blue tooth technology won’t work underwater, so I presume that wired headphones would be the way to go…Any thoughts from anyone? Thanks!

I’ve been using the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium for some months now and am very happy with them overall. However, I have found that situational context has a huge bearing on their performance (in ways that no doubt affect other bone conduction headphones too, not just these).

I have very poor hearing in my left ear. Three years ago, I got a BTE hearing aid, which has made an enormous difference. Prior to that, I was unable to hear anything on that side for about 10 years. Listening to music was a frustrating experience, especially with headphones or earphones. About two years ago, I bought a pair of Bose over-the-ear wireless headphones. These have large cups and can fot right over my ears, including the hearing aid. Still, they have to be positioned very precisely in order to avoid feedback through my hearing aid, so it has never really been all that successful.

Enter the Trekz Titanium. Wow! For the first time in a decade, I could actually hear music in both ears, true stereo sound! What a difference this has made!

While I do love my Trekz, they can be difficult to wear with my hearing aid and glasses as well. This isn’t a criticism of the Trekz specifically. Other bone conduction headphones use the same basic design and it’s just a lot of hardware to fit over one’s ear! I also find the Trekz a little small for my (rather large!) head.

My major disappointment is with certain applications like listening to the TV. Again, this is not a criticism just of the Trekz: I have no doubt this is the same for all bone conduction technology (given the way it works). Even with my hearing aid, I often have trouble with the TV, particularly soft voices, strange accents, or when there is music in the background. I had hoped the headphones would help with this. Sadly, they don’t (with one exception). The Trekz connect to the TV using Bluetooth. Bluetooth has long had an inherent problem with ‘lag’ (latency), which for some years made it unsuitable for many applications. Recent versions of Bluetooth had alleviated this problem using a capability called AptX — alleviated it, but not entirely eliminated it.

In my set-up, the lag is very small and is not noticeable visually: the audio through the Trekz appears in sync with the actor’s lips, so there are none of the “lip-sync” issues that can make watching TV unbearable. However, by their design, bone conduction headphones allow you to hear ambient sound: this is an advantage, for example, when walking near traffic. Unfortunately, when watching TV, it means you can hear the TV audio both through the headphones and environmentally. And it turns out that while the lag with Bluetooth AptX is not noticeable visually, it can be heard: it manifests itself as a slight but distinct and very annoying echo effect (you pick up the sound from the TV very slightly before the sound arrives through the headphones).

The problem can be solved if the TV is muted (you can mute the TV without muting sound to the headphones). But if others are watching TV as well, this is obviously a show-stopper.

I thought it would be good to make people aware of this. As noted earlier, it’s not a problem with the Trekz specifically: it is an inherent problem that affects all bone conduction hearing solutions.

There is some sound blockers in the market you could use (sometimes sold with the bone conducting headphones), I think this could fix the echoing TV issue, depending on how your hearing aid is placed this could be an inconvenient or even not possible tho.

I have been using JBL headphones for about 1 yr, and love them. But I sweat alot and they get kind of messy, and are bulky. When I run with them, you cannot hear anything else but your music. On the airplane, great, quiet & great sound. For working out…not so good.

But I found this article when I was searching inner conduction headphones. Found aftershokz. Watched the video, and read the reviews. Bought a pair, and I LOVE THEM! Super comfortable, great sound paired with my Ipod, and easy to wear. Tried them biking today. Awesome. I met a runner on the bike trail today, showed him “something different then ear buds…..and the next thing I’m doing is giving him link to aftershokz. He was sold on a 3 min demo!! I an active runner, biker, skier, and skier….I love to ski!! These fit my lifestyle, and they will fit yours too! I love the ocean blue on my Trekz titanium!! Give them a try! You will love them.

I have used Bone conduction technology for about ten years – Due to fluid build up in my ears, and damaged ear drums. For years I used the wired Aftershokz units and like them very much. They did tend to fail, but Aftershokz would always replace them – without issue. Very good customer service. I had to move away from the wired unit as when I bought a iPhone 7 the phone was always detecting switch action and would change to a call. but just on that particular phone. I then purchased the Aftershokz Blues 2 and that worked out well. One unit failed with a loose speaker, but again – Aftershokz replaced it quickly.
I continued to use the wired units for listening to TV, and my computer – with a wire cord across the room.
I then moved and my new, and improved, wife did not want a cord running across the floor, and – reasonably so – quickly got tired of the very loud TV volume. I tried using the Aftershokz BT Headset but the latency between the screen and the sound of about 200ms (1/5 second) was driving me nuts.
After some research, I found that the APT-X technology would improve this – I purchased set of KSCAT Nice5 Bone conduction headsets (they were APT-X) and a small APT-X Bluetooth (BT) transmitter and it was better with delay of about 120ms. That unit just failed – literally fell apart (10 months). So I am looking for replacement.
There is now a sub-class of the APT-X technology called APT-X low Latency that brings the transmission speed down to 40ms (1/25th of a second). The APT-X technology is licensed by Qualcomm (www.aptx.com) and there you can see the three types of APT-X – including the low latency list of products. Low latency is really only needed for real-time activities like TV viewing and apparently gaming (which I do not do). Unfortunately – there is only one bone conduction headset license with the APT-X low latency (Panasonic RP-BTGS10-K).
But since I need the low latency, and my new, and did I mention much improved, wife likes both the lower room volume, and the lack of wires – so that is what I am going to get. I will also need to replace the transmitter as my current BT transmitter is APT-X but not APT-X Low Latency. As I understand it – both BT ends need to be APT-X Low Latency. Please also note that with the KSAT Nice 5 unit which could do dual connections (Bluetooth 4.1), but if I had two connections set up – the latency increase dramatically. So I only used that unit for TV.

So as of now I have a wired unit for my Aftershock computer, an Aftershock unit for my phone, and will have a new Panasonic unit for TV Watching. An man has got to do what a man got to do.

I recently bought the trekz titanium and I just absolutely love them. I have eczema in my ear canals and regular ear buds and anything that covers my ears will cause a flare up. The inflammation will be so bad it pushes the ear buds out. These new ones have been Perfect! The sound, to me, is great. I use them when walking or jogging the track in my town and love that when another runner is coming from behind I hear them and can move if I need to, no more sneaking up on me. One con for me, I have found, is that since the cool down in the weather, the breeze can cause an earache sometimes which can be frustrating but I can use earplugs if I have too.

Several years ago my hearing was damaged by exposure to gun firings while using inadequate hearing protection. At the time of the exposure I had a pre-existing hearing loss most prevalent in high frequency ranges and wore hearing aides.

After the gun shot exposure I noticed that I all music sounded off key. Since that time I have essentially lost my ability to listen to music.

While I don’t know the specific damage done to my ears I understand that the hair cells may have been damaged by the noise exposure. Recently my wife suggested that I try the Trekz Titanium bone conduction headphones and am very pleased with the result. While the headphones do not offer the sound quality that my Bose over the ear headphones provided they do provide sufficient sound quality and more importantly most of the music I have listened to sounds on key.

I am very pleased so far with the product and hope they continue to perform. I truly missed the ability to listen to music and am pleased to have this enjoyment return.

I may have missed it, but what about reviews of the microphone quality for calls. While I got a lot of great information on the sound quality, fit, and comfort, how do the microphone qualities stack up? Thanks.

I’ve noticed only one comment on tinnitus and wondered if this technology can help with that. I’ve suffered from tinnitus for decades but recently it has become much worse and my hearing has deteriorated to the point that I now have hearing aids.

I’m shortly to be fitted with new ones that should help with the tinnitus but I was wondering if the ‘bone phones’ would blot out the tinnitus or if I’d still have it at the same time as my ears would be uncovered? I also wear prescription glasses, so wonder if this and my behind the ear hearing aids would preclude a good fit from these devices.

Most likely the new hearing aids will be better for your tinnitus than the bone conduction headphones and you probably won’t be able to wear both plus your glasses as there would be too much behind your ear. I would give the hearing aids a good shot first. The bone conduction headphones would be good to wear if listening to music when you’re relaxing and not wearing your hearing aids.

I just found this site as I was looking to buy a good version of a wireless bone conduction headset. I tried an inexpensive version just to see if it would work for me. I wear fairly heavy prescription glasses and BTE hearing aids in both ears and was not able to get the headphones to fit comfortably. Also, by holding the pads to my cheekbone as shown in the pictures, I could not really hear the sound that well, although that may have been the headset. I flipped them around and wore them like a headband with the pads fitting near the mastoid area, and voila!. Great sound, didn’t interfere with my glasses and aids. Looks a little odd but works great. Maybe some of the manufacturers could consider designing one this way for those of us with both aids and glasses. The only issue is since the headset is designed to wear behind the neck, when I need to look up or down (I wear them at work) they tend to slip off. I am trying a few ideas to correct this issue for the way I wear them.

I now wear hearing aids and a few months ago I got the Trekz Titanium, based largely on this website. My only issue is the size. I have a rather large head and they barely fit. Are there any others that allow size adjustment the way traditional headphones would?

What about AXUM? finally, someone is making wireless headphones for RUNNERS!!!! and not just another gaming/Netflix earbuds… to be honest, I really doubt that there’s a better pair of this completely wireless earbuds – can’t wait to get mine https://goo.gl/ygtswQ

Do any of these headphones have both Bluetooth and wired capabilities? Or are there any bone conduction headphones which have both functionality? I’m really interested in purchasing a pair as earphones have been outlawed in running races here

I am interested in using this technology to help my students who suffer from conductive hearing loss due to otitis media. I need them to be hear the lessons being delivered by the teacher and need a transmitter of some kind. I have no idea of where to start. Any ideas from technology gurus?

Have you had a chance to review the new Trekz Air? I’d definitely be interested if you did an update to this review to include those. Or are they not available to the market yet? I saw they were at CES this year?

Bone Conduction bypasses the eardrums. In bone conduction listening, the bone conduction devices like headphones perform the role of eardrums. These devices decode sound waves and convert them into vibrations that can be received directly by the Cochlea so the eardrum is never involved. The sound reaches the ears as vibrations through the bones or skull and skin.

A friend at work was showing off his new Trekzs. Looks like a good product but I am confused… It was my understanding that bone conduction headphones transmitted sound via vibration through a person’s bone structure. What my friend showed me seemed more like just an open air speaker headphone where I could hear music coming from the headphones even though they were no where near the ears or touching my head. While I understand the useful place the open ear design of headphones is handy…. that fact that I can hear the music over the standard airwaves makes me wonder why they are being advertised (and priced) as bone conduction?

Thanks for the article and it really helpful for me. Can you do me a favor to clarify that will Bone Conduction headphones work with Cochlear Implants ? If yes then which headphones being suited for me.

But if a bone conduction headset bypasses my hearing aids, won’t I miss out on the essential shaped frequency amplification that the aids provide? My hearing loss (and tinnitus), profound in some frequencies, is due to noise exposure with hair cell damage.

I’m looking into trekz titanium because my bluez 2s headband snapped. Bone conduction headphones are great for cycling or just having music in the background but unfortunately the cons are loss of sound quality (not a great deal really) and when it gets really loud around you, you just can’t hear them

My daughter has a programmable VP shunt to correct hydrocephalus caused by a brain tumor. The shunt is programmed by magnets. Regular headphones/earbuds have magnets that cause her to have pressure and pain. Are any of these headphones/earbuds magnet free?

Buyer beware…
If you have a large head, large ears, and/or your ears are high on your head you will have a problem finding any that fit. They don’t make them adjustable enough. I had a pair of the AfterShokz Sportz mentioned hear and broke them trying to get them to fit. Don’t waste your money! Bluetooth is not an option for me because of implanted medical device so i have to have wired. Maybe one day someone will make one that will fit…